10 killed, 476 injured in post-election violence: Odhikar
Bangladesh has experienced a rise in post-election violence, with at least 10 people killed and 476 injured in 104 separate incidents between February 13 and 28, according to rights organisation Odhikar.
The latest figures were released yesterday under Odhikar’s ongoing project, “Supporting the Restoration of Democracy: Monitoring and Reporting Electoral Violence in Bangladesh”, supported by the European Partnership for Democracy.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The report states that 28 percent of the incidents -- 29 in total -- involved factional clashes within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its splinter groups. These confrontations alone resulted in four fatalities and 136 injuries.
Victims included BNP activists and their affiliates, supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami League backers, followers of BNP-aligned independent candidates, and non-partisan civilians.
Regionally, Khulna division recorded the highest number of casualties, with three deaths and 191 injuries.
Rajshahi and Barishal divisions each reported two deaths, while Dhaka division registered one fatality alongside 90 injuries. Chattogram and Mymensingh divisions each reported one death.
Through direct observation across 50 constituencies, Odhikar documented 32 incidents in 17 areas, resulting in five deaths and 41 injuries. Khulna-3 constituency alone accounted for the highest number of injuries among the monitored locations.
Reported incidents ranged from physical assaults and intimidation to property damage, including a nocturnal attack on a Hindu temple in Sylhet.
Investigations, case filings, detentions or crowd control measures were noted in 44 percent of the incidents, while others saw little or no official intervention.
Odhikar called on authorities to conduct prompt and impartial investigations, strengthen protection for civilians, and implement early warning and rapid response mechanisms to prevent further post-election violence.
The organisation’s recommendations included improving intra-party conflict management, ensuring civilian safety -- particularly for vulnerable groups -- and extending monitoring and prevention strategies beyond election day.
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